Beginning of the End
by JesterGirl01
Summary: Basically, I love Five Night's at Freddy's (both the games and the novel), so I have decided to write about William Afton, his family, his deeds, his development into the murderous man he is in the franchise (taking some elements of the book and some from the game with my own touch on the situation). This may not be what happened, but it's how I can see it realistically happening.
1. Chapter 1

Bright and early Thursday morning, William got out of bed. He went to the bathroom and looked at his hair. He tossled it around. "Eh, good enough." He walked to his daughter's room and peeked in. He saw her chest rise and fall as she breathed steadily, asleep. He went up to her and admired her beauty- her long eyelashes, her red hair in pigtails, her rosy cheeks, her perfect little pink lips. She was absolutely stunning. She was her father's girl. He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her cheek softly. He quietly turned to leave. He went down the hall to the room that his two sons shared. The older of the two was fast asleep on the top bunk with the covers tossed about. The younger one, a year younger than the little girl, was asleep on the bottom bunk, his hair in disarray. William looked at his younger son, noticing his rosy cheeks similar to that of his daughter. He knelt down and kissed the boy on cheek. The boy fidgeted a little, then calmed down, still asleep. William looked up at his older son who was asleep with a magazine in his arms. He looked closer at the magazine- _is that a naked woman?!_ He fluttered his eyes and turned away. _He certainly is growing up and it looks like I have some grounding and ass beating to do later._ He walked out and back to his room where he put on his uniform- a purple button down shirt with a small Fredbear's logo on the breast pocket. He slipped some khakis on and headed off to Fredbear's Family Diner.

He arrived at the diner and rushed inside. The place was empty this early in the morning. The only other person that could be there that early is his co-owner of the facility, Henry. He went to the office and flipped the lights on. He started going through the desk drawers until he found his planning and sketch book.

"Voila!"

He plopped it on the desk and and flipped it to a page with a new animatronic design. The animatronic was humanoid female with a poofy skirt and red pigtails. It was a rough sketch. The face had big eyes, long eyelashes, blushing red cheeks with a mouth stretching between them, a round nose, and what appeared to be lines across the face- not lines for sketching proportions but lines that were intentional and purposeful. He admired the animatronic girl when he heard the front door opening. He quickly put his book back in the drawer. He waited a moment, then Henry came in the room with a huge smile across his face.

"Morning, Will." Henry sat his large bag down.

William looked up and smiled. "Morning, Henry." He noticed the bag. "Uhhh, what's in the bag?" William began to lean forward as if to get a better look at the bag.

Henry looked at the bag, then back at William. His grin widened. "You mean that bag?"

William laughed. "What other bag is there?"

Henry laughed and dove his hands into the bag and pulled out a sketchbook.

William looked at it. "Let me guess… New robot designs?"

Henry beamed. "Yes!" He flipped it open to a page with what appeared to be a brown bear with a black top hat and bow tie.

William studied the design. "Hmmm, it looks awfully similar to Fredbear, don't you think?"

Henry looked slightly hurt. "But this is not Fredbear," he pointed at the drawing, "this is Freddy Fazbear."

William gave the bear a look. "Fazbear… Wonderful."

Henry's smile returned. He flipped to a second drawing, which was a purple bunny with a red bow tie. "This is Bonnie."

William looked the rabbit and nodded.

Henry turned the page to reveal a yellow chicken with a bib that read "Let's Eat!" The chicken held what appeared to be a small cupcake. "This is Chica the Chicken and Carl the Cupcake."

William smiled slightly.

Henry flipped the page a final time to show a reddish orange fox with an eyepatch and a hook for a hand. "And this is Foxy the Pirate."

William jumped forward. "I love it! That one is definitely my favorite. Well done, Henry!"

Henry smiled and bowed slightly. He laughed and shut his sketchbook. "I'm glad you like them." He put the book back in the bag. "Hey, I'm gonna go wake this place up, get the animals going."

William looked up at Henry. "All right, Henry. I'll be in here."

Henry left William. William heard slow cranking sounds of robotic limbs moving after a night of sleep. _I really do love those animals._ He listened as the movements sounded more coordinated, then he heard the music start to play. He threw himself back in his chair. _Man, this is great._ He sat there a moment and pulled out his sketchbook. He opened to the girl animatronic and began to think of his daughter. "Hmmmm, what should I call you?" He was talking to the drawing as if it could answer. He tapped his pencil on the desk. "What would be a good name for a little girl animatronic?" He thought of his daughter again, he thought of her sweet little laugh. He chuckled. "Ahh, yes. My baby." He lit up with an idea. "That's it, you'll be called Baby!" He looked at the drawing and nodded. He shut the sketchbook and placed it back in the drawer. He stood up and walked to wear the stage was. He watched as the robots made their programmed movements- Fredbear turning from one side to the other, microphone at hand, waving to the children; and Spring Bonnie turning from side to side as well, strumming his guitar. William smiled, admiring the wonders he and Henry had designed.

Henry came up beside William and threw an arm around his shoulder enthusiastically. "Wonderful, aren't they?"

"Definitely."

Henry looked at the time. "It's 8:00. The kitchen staff and the cashier should be here in the next half hour, and the families and children shouldn't be long after." He gave William a pat on the back. He walked back to the kitchen to straighten up a little.

William stood a moment, staring at Spring Bonnie. _I wonder if Henry would mind me playing the part today._ He went to the kitchen. "Henry, could I possibly wear the Spring Bonnie suit today?"

Henry looked across the room at his companion. "That's a wonderful idea! You can be Spring Bonnie and interact with the kids and I can be Fredbear."

William smiled. "Great."

He walked back to the stage and went to the control panel and shut them down. He went to the Spring Bonnie suit and opened up the suit. He wound the springs back up, locking them up and compressing the robot parts to the edges of the costume's interior. He stepped into the feet and aligned himself in the suit and began fastening the costume carefully. Once he had the body on, he lifted the head in front of his face and looked into the empty eyes of the costume. He slipped the head on, making the transformation complete. He walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, admiring this look. _I feel like a completely different person in this suit._ He bent down over the sink, the rabbit face almost touching the mirror. _Yes, I could get used to this._ He laughed slightly and stood up. He walked out of the restroom and bumped into Henry.

Henry jumped, startled by the bunny, but then he remembered William was in there. He laughed and looked through the costume's eyes to see William's. "How's it going in there, Will?" He laughed.

William smiled. "This is great! I feel like this suit gives me a sort of new life or sense of being."

Henry gave him a concerned look, then he smiled. "Yeah, being one of the characters and performing can be quite lively."

William didn't respond. He only nodded his head slowly.

Henry stared. "Umm, okay, then. I think I'm gonna go become Fredbear now." He turned around and briskly walked away.

William watched Henry go, then he started for the dining area and proceeded to walk around the tables, pretending to be entertaining the children. He turned around to find Henry, all suited up as the famous golden bear. He turned to the front door when the cashier, Robert, came in. "Hey, Rob."

Rob looked nervously at the daunting bunny, then recognized the voice. "Oh hey, Will." He waved slightly and walked behind the counter to sit on his stool. "What's with the costume?"

William did a little dance. "I've decided to entertain the kids myself today."

Rob gave William an odd glance. "You seem quite happy about this. I would hate to be the one who's the mascot."

William was drawn aback. He put a giant paw to his chest. "What do you mean? There is no greater honor than to wear the costume, to play the part of a fantasy character. You feel like a different person in costume."

Rob chuckled. "Yeah, sure, man. I only feel hot, sticky, and stupid when I'm in a costume."

William put his paws on his hips. "Now, I out to cut your pay for that statement." He laughed.

Rob jumped up and smiled. "I was just kidding, Will. They costume's adorable." He laughed a little nervously.

William laughed. "I'm not gonna pay you any less. Everyone's entitled to their opinions."

Rob sat back down relaxed.

The kitchen staff - Hayley, Chris, and Leslie - came in. Hayley, being the first to notice Spring Bonnie, ran up to him and gave him a hug. "Gosh, I love this rabbit!" The two other teens looked at each other and laughed.

William was allowed the embrace as long as he thought the suit could handle such a stressor. "Ummm, Hayley, this suit has sensitive spring locks."

Hayley let go. "Sorry, Mr. Afton. I forgot about that." She smiled sheepishly.

William smiled. "It's no problem now, just please remember next time to try not to get me killed." He laughed.

"Yes sir." Hayley went into the kitchen to get the ovens warmed up. Leslie and Chris followed her, holding hands.

William noticed their interlocked fingers. "Now, you two know the rules." He put his paws to his hips. "If you're gonna be playing with each other, you have to be willing to play with the kids."

They turned around to look at him, turning loose of each other. They continued into the kitchen silently.

William spun around and looked at the time - _9:00._ He looked up to the door to see their first customer's car pull in the lot. "Hey, Henry, we've got company!"

A mother stepped out of the car and opened the back door to unbuckle a little boy. She got him out, shut the door, and took him by the hand, leading him to his fantasy land.

As they entered the restaurant, William greeted them. "Well howdy! Welcome to Fredbear's Family Diner where food and play are our priorities."

The boy looked up at the large golden bunny talking and smiled. He turned to his mother and pointed at the rabbit. "Look, Mommy, it's a bunny!" He looked back at the bunny.

William looked at the boy. "Why, yes I am, kiddo." He tousled the boy's hair with his gigantic paws. He admired the child's enthusiasm, reminding him that his own son's birthday party was going to be Saturday. He smiled at the thought of his happy little boy in awe.

The child ran off to go play with Fredbear. The mother looked at William and gave him a warm smile. She then left to follow her son.

William blushed underneath the suit. _Wow, these parents seem to really appreciate people making their lives easier by keeping their children happy and entertained._ He turned around and noticed the woman back.

She smiled. "Ummm, could I speak to you, Mr….?"

"Afton. William Afton, co-owner of this restaurant."

Her mouth dropped open. She tried to cover her surprised look. "Wow, I had no idea the owners of the business would actually work there." She giggled. "Especially not wearing the costumes."

William laughed. "Well, Henry and I actually love wearing these costumes and interacting with the customers. We try our very best to make Fredbear's a fun family place with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Being a part of it, you know exactly how people are enjoying themselves."

The woman was surprised. She smiled. "I love your attitude about your work, it truly is amazing to find someone who thoroughly enjoys what they do."

William smiled. "I would take the head off and show you how delighted I am right now, but it might ruin it for the kids." He laughed.

The mother laughed. "Yeah, I understand." She looked around to see her son talking to Fredbear across the room. She turned back around and smiled. "He really does enjoy this place. We've been here once before and he just fell in love."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, your place has really made his life a bit easier. It gives him the happiness every child deserves."

William cocked his head. "Why wouldn't he be happy anyway?"

The woman looked around cautiously and turned around. "Well, he's had a lot going on in the past year. His father and I have gotten divorced in the past few months and he's really just going through some things."

"I see." William suddenly gave the woman a hug. "I'm sorry about what you guys are going through, but I'm glad that this place can bring some happiness to the picture."

The woman was surprised by the sudden hug by the large rabbit, but hugged back. "Thank you." They released each other and smiled. She gave him a little wave as she turned to go sit down while her son enjoyed himself.

Before long, many more children and their parents flooded in. The cooks were going crazy trying to get everyone's orders done, the cashier was busy, and William and Henry were busy entertaining the children. They danced and sang for the crowd for hours, occasionally taking short breaks to use the bathroom or snack a little. The did a few comedy bits together on stage, making the crowd roar in laughter. By the time it came to closing most everyone had gone. The place looked well worn by the end of the day. William looked around to see if anyone still remained to see only the mother and kid from earlier. _Wow, they really are here to escape reality._ He went over to them and sat down.

The boy jumped up excitedly. "Hi, Bonnie!"

William waved. "What's happening, kid?"

The boy leaned across the table, resting his chin in his hands. "Just enjoying this place, Bonnie. I love it here."

William observed as the little boy looked around in awe at the place as if he were in a dream. He suddenly remembered. "Oh my, how could I have forgotten?"

The boy looked up at the bunny. "Forgotten what?"

"We have a new friend that I forgot to introduce to the kids today."

The boy beamed. "A new friend?"

"That's right! And since you're the only child left, you get to be the first to meet him."

"Wow!" The boy's eyes widened in joy.

William stood up and took the boy by the hand. "He's right around here." He led the boy around a corner of the wall and low and behold, there was a huge present box sitting there.

The boy ran up to the box. "Is he inside?"

William came up beside him. "Yes, but you have to let him know you're friendly first before he'll come out."

The boy looked at the bunny, then back to the box. He gently knocked on the lid. "Hello? Is anyone home?" No reply. "I'm your friend, I just want to play. Please come out."

William smiled and flipped a hidden switch. The lid started to open up. A white-masked face with a wide mouth, red lips, bright red cheeks, and purple streaks running from the eyes to the mouth emerged from the box. It it's hands, it held a little gift box.

The boy was ecstatic. "Is this the new friend?" William nodded. The boy reached out his arms and gave the puppet a hug. "Hi, I'm Felix." The boy looked at the puppet, waiting for a response.

Suddenly, a voice came from the marionette. "Hello, I'm Marionette." The voice sounded welcoming.

The boy inched closer. "I like that name." He smiled.

Marionette with his lasting smile held the gift out to the boy. The boy took it and opened it, revealing a small Fredbear plush. The boy shrieked in delight. He squeezed the doll so hard that if it were alive, he would've crushed it. "I love it! Thank you, Marionette."

Marionette continued to smile, then he retreated back inside of his box.

The boy looked at Spring Bonnie. "I love him."

William smiled. "I knew he would be a friend well appreciated." He ushered the little boy back to his mother.

The boy ran to his mother and leapt into her arms. "Look, mommy, it's Fredbear!" He showed her the plush.

His mother smiled. "Yay, now you can talk to Fredbear whenever you want." She tousled his hair. She looked up at William and smiled. "Thank you, Bonnie." She tapped her son. "Tell Bonnie thank you."

The boy turned to Bonnie and gave him a squeeze. "Thank you, Bonnie."

William smiled. "No problem, kid." He pat the boy's head.

The mother took her son by the hand and led him to the car. The parking lot was empty except for his car, their car, and Henry's car. Henry came up behind William. "Hey, Will, you mind closing shop for me today?"

William looked at him and smiled. "Nah, I don't mind."

Henry looked at him gratefully. "Thanks because Melissa is calling me, the twins are sick."

"Go take care of your family, Henry."

Henry thanked him once more and left. As Henry drove off, another vehicle pulled in beside the mother buckling her child in. A large truck, high off the ground, stopped. A lean man with a hat on dropped from the driver's side of the truck. He seemed to be staggering a little. He made his way around the front of his truck and in the space between the two vehicles where the woman was. He got directly behind the woman and put one hand against her car. "Howdy do, Carrie."

She turned around and looked at him in disgust. "What do you want, Joe?"

He shuffled a little, his mind not seeming quite right. "I came for little Felix."

She looked at him for a moment. "No, you don't get Felix till next weekend." She looked at his rough appearance. "And quite possibly never if you keep drinking like that."

The man's face contorted. He chuckled. "Now, Carrie, I don't think you understand. Felix's coming with me." He got closer to the woman, pinning her between himself and the car. "And I think you ought to know that I wouldn't be this way if not for you."

She looked at him disapprovingly. "Excuse me, I did not drive you to drown your sorrows in alcohol. I left you because of this problem."

His face turned red with frustration. "No, Carrie, you left me and took my son because you were bored with me."

The woman began to cry tears of anger. "No, I loved you, Joe! I loved you with all of my heart! I only left you because you started down this path of drinking again. The only difference this time is that you didn't make it out. You are in no position to be around children in this state and I love you still, but I'll be damned if I let you take our son now for him to get injured or killed." She looked back in the car to see her son looking at them with wide eyes. She bent down into the car. She smiled at him. "Everything's fine, baby. Mommy and daddy are just having a talk." She kissed his cheek, then stood up and shut his door.

Joe looked at her with a wicked smile. "Now, I don't know why you're closing that door when he needs to get out to come with me."

Carrie frowned. Her voice got low. "You are not taking him. Can you not see you are just a hazard to everyone right now, including yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me." She began to move towards the driver's side door when a large arm blocked her way. She turned to face him.

He had a devilish look in his eyes. "Why're ya running off so soon?" He pushed her against the car and held onto her. He began to cry. "Carrie, I love you." She tried to move but couldn't. He looked up at her and saw she was horrified. He wiped his tear-streaked face and he became angry. "You aren't going to acknowledge my love?" He pulled a knife out of his pocket and began to play with the sharp end. He chuckled and looked at Carrie. "Ya know, I always thought you'd look real cute with short hair." He slowly moved the knife around the side of her head and grabbed her hair. He pulled her to himself and sent the sharp blade through her hair, the tresses falling down. She started to cry. "Oh, honey, you look cute like that." His face began to approach hers. His lips were about to brush hers when she suddenly pushed back from him, freezing when the shock hit her. Blood began to trickle down her back. Joe realized what had happened and worried. "Carrie, are you okay? I didn't mean to." She was staring in shock at him, the knife still in her back. She began to tremble. "Carrie, I'm sorry." She began to pass out. He caught her. He pulled the knife out and lowered her to the ground. He began to cry profusely. "Carrie?" She was still breathing, but her breath was slowing. "Carrie? Please, don't go." He sobbed.

Their son watched in horror through the window as his mother lay nearly lifeless on the ground. He was frozen in shock. He sat there quietly, unable to cry or move. Suddenly he heard his father screech horribly and sob. He closed his eyes and squeezed his Fredbear. He wouldn't open his eyes- not when he heard his father get up and put his mother in his truck. He sat and listened as his father drove off, forgetting Felix existed for the moment.

William finished getting his things together and shutting the place up for the night. He opened the door and stepped outside. He noticed the car was still there, but the truck had left. He looked closely through the windows of the car, but the woman he had met earlier was nowhere in sight. He walked to the car and looked in all the windows and saw the little boy sitting there, squeezing Fredbear. He looked around and noticed no one was around. He opened the door and touched the boy's shoulder. "Why are you out here all alone kid?"

The boy looked up at him and began to cry.

William was surprised. He unbuckled the child and picked him up out of the car. The boy rested his head on William's shoulder and cried. William unlocked the restaurant and brought the crying child inside. He took him to Fredbear and Spring Bonnie on their stage.

The boy looked up to see two of his favorite characters. He wiped his cheeks and sniffled.

William smiled. "Do they make you feel better?"

The boy nodded.

William gave the boy a few minutes to calm down. "Why were you upset? Are you hurt? Where are your parents?"

The little boy looked up. "They left. Daddy and Mommy were talking outside the car. Daddy wasn't acting right. He stabbed Mommy in the back and she fell. He picked her up, put her in his truck, and left." Tears were streaming.

William looked horrified at what the boy just told him. He grabbed the little boy and pulled him into a hug. He held his head against his own chest and pet the boy's head. "It's gonna be okay. I'm sure you're mama is okay." The boy struggled to catch his breath. He started crying more, unable to stop. "It's gonna be okay."

William looked up from the crying child to the door leading to the room with the puppet. He picked the child up and brought him in the room. He set him beside the present box. The boy looked up, calming down a little. William pressed a button, and the marionette began to emerge from within the box, holding a plush of himself. The puppet began to talk. "Here you are, friend." It's arms were outstretched, holding the doll for the boy to take. The boy slowly reached up and took the doll. He hugged the puppet as if it were the only other thing on the planet.

William watched this touching scene. _The robot is happy and it makes the kid happy._ He watched as the boy put his troubling situation aside to focus on his new animatronic friend. _He shouldn't have to go back to the real miserable world, he should get to stay here in bliss forever._ Suddenly, something snapped in William's mind; he smiled a sort of chaotic smile. He slipped out of the room quietly, leaving the child to his friend.

Felix looked up at the puppet and pet the side of it's face. "You smile, yet you cry. Why are you sad?" He looked intently at the puppet and waited for a response. "You just need a little love." Felix kissed the puppet's forehead and hugged the marionette with a passionate squeeze of genuine love and friendship.

As the child hugged the puppet, William slinked back into the room. A blade of silver glistening in his hand. _I'm doing it for him._ He crept behind the child, blade ready to make the fatal blow. He wrapped his arms around the child, as if hugging him from behind. Before the child had a chance to respond, he pulled the knife abruptly towards the child's torso. The child's arms fell slowly from the puppet he was hugging and fell limp to his sides. His head hung forward, lifeless. William picked the lifeless child up before any blood could get anywhere. He carried him like infant towards the supply closet near the back door and retrieved a shovel. He carried the child and the shovel out the back door and into the woods. He walked with the child a distance until he couldn't see the building anymore. He stopped, dropped the shovel on the ground, and looked at the child's seemingly restful face. _He died happy._ He knelt down and sat the child down, propping him against a tree. He picked the shovel up and began to dig. He buried the child, placing the puppet plush and the Fredbear in with him. _Rest in peace, dear child._ He covered the body and the dolls. He covered the freshly dug area with leaves and twigs and walked back to Fredbear's with the shovel. He washed the shovel and placed it back in the supply closet. He went to his office, retrieved his design book, and left.


	2. Chapter 2

William pulled up into his driveway and saw the lights in the living room on. He went to the door and opened it and before he knew it, he was being clung to by his daughter. He looked down and smiled, hugging her in return. "Hi, sweetie."

The girl started to say something when a little boy came running behind him with a bigger boy in a mask following closely behind. The little boy hid behind his father's legs. William put out a hand and held the bigger in place before he could get to the little boy. "Now, Michael, what's going on here?"

Michael's masked face looked up at his father. "Just trying to give little Danny a hug."

William looked down at him disapprovingly. "Take that mask off right now and stop scaring your brother." He turned around and looked at the little boy. He smiled. "Now, Danny, there's no need to be scared of your brother. Just ignore him when he tries to irritate you."

Danny was not smiling. "But he knows I hate the mask." He pointed to the werewolf mask his brother had just taken off.

William took the mask from Michael. He held it up and showed Danny. "If you hate it so much, go throw it away."

Danny looked at the mask a long moment, then at his brother who was giving him a death stare. He shook his head. "No, that's Michael's mask and I wouldn't throw it away."

William gave the mask back to Michael. "Okay, but just know the mask can't hurt you, son."

Michael chuckled. William turned around and gave him a serious look. He turned back to Danny. "Now go play." Danny ran upstairs to his bedroom. William looked at his daughter, who had been waiting patiently to talk to her father. "What were you going to say, Emily?"

She looked up. "I was just gonna ask how your day at Fredbear's was." She waited for a reply.

William suddenly remembered all the horrid occurrences of the day and stared blankly into the distance. He was snapped out of his trance by Emily's hand crossing in front of his field of vision. "Oh, right. My day was great! I got to be Spring Bonnie again and entertain the kids."

Emily looked up happily. "I love the robots! I can't wait to see what you're planning on building for me!"

William thought a moment and remember the drawing of the clown girl animatronic. "Don't worry, honey. You will love her."

Emily stood on her tippy toes and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, daddy!" She ran up to her room.

William smiled and turned to find Michael still in the room holding his mask. William suddenly remembered what he had seen this morning. "Michael, I think you have some explaining to do." His tone was calm.

Michael looked up nervously. "W-what do you mean, dad?"

William gave him a look. "What is it I found in your bed this morning?"

Michael was confused. "In my bed? Was it me? I have no clue what you're talking about."

William cut his eyes at Michael. "I found a little magazine."

Michael thought a moment, then his face went scarlet. "Oh uh, yeah, there was an interesting article in there."

William chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure there was, son."

Michael gave a nervous smile.

William turned away. "So you didn't know it had a naked woman on the cover?"

Michael turned away. "No."

William looked back at Michael. "Son, if I see any more of that kind of crap around your room, you're grounded."

Michael looked at the floor. "Yes sir."

William smiled. "Don't be all sad now, go play, but you'd better get that thing out of this house." Michael went upstairs to his and his brother's room.

William walked to the couch and plopped down. _What a day._ He turned on the TV and what flashed before his eyes was the picture of a man who had been arrested. He looked at the guy and listened to the TV- "... who stabbed his wife at Fredbear's Family Diner." William zoned out. _So that was the kid's mom and dad._ He turned the TV off and stood up. He turned the lights off and walked upstairs to his room. He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. _Kid, I did you a favor._ He turned off his lamp, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

…

William woke up and flopped out of bed. _Man, what a night._ He walked to the kitchen and popped two pieces of bread in the toaster. He meandered around the table, thinking about his plans for the day. The toast popped out and he grabbed his toast and ate briskly. While he crunched on his toast, someone poked him on the shoulder. He whirled around to see his sleepy daughter in her night gown holding a plush of Spring Bonnie. She was smiling brightly at him. William beamed. "Morning, sweetheart." He picked her up and sat her in his lap.

"Good morning, Daddy." She rubbed her eyes.

"What are you doing up so early?" William turned her around to face him.

Emily yawned. "I don't know. I'm just excited."

"About what?"

"The robot you're building for me." Her smile brightened.

William chuckled. "I was actually going to stay home today to work on my little project, but you know it won't be finished today, right?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I know. I'm just happy about the thought of someday playing with her."

William grinned. "Well, sweetie, I'm glad." He took a bite of toast. "You know, I'll show you my progress this evening."

She nearly jumped out of her father's lap. "Yay! Thank you, daddy!"

He gave her a kiss and looked at the clock on the wall (almost 7:15). "Why don't you go back to sleep so you can have enough energy to play later?"

"Okay, daddy." She hopped down and walked to her room with Spring Bonnie dangling in her little tired hand.

William finished his toast and went to fetch his design book from his bedroom. He got the book and took it outside to the garage. He flipped to the page with the clown girl animatronic. He examined the drawing carefully, then he looked around the garage for supplies. He fumbled through the bits and pieces of plastic and metal he had scattered about. He found a green piece of plastic with lines of silver showing on it. He held up the small object and smiled. _The brain of my creation._ He set the piece aside and began looking for his power equipment. He looked and found a bag of large plastic eyeballs. He also found a bag with small bolts. He gathered his materials in one area. He began work.

After about two hours, the head of the endoskeleton for this robot was complete. William looked at it as if it were a priceless piece of art. _The structure behind the metal casing. Nothing else could fit so perfectly inside… except…_ He was broken from his thoughts when his phone started ringing. He picked it up. "Hello?"

A familiar voice boomed. "Will, we have an issue." It was Henry.

William raised an eyebrow. "An issue? What could be wrong?" He fiddled with some bolts.

"The marionnette, it's not in it's box."

William looked confused. "Well, I didn't move it."

"I know, but I could find it anywhere in the room."

"Check everywhere in the restaurant, it has to be there someplace."

Henry set the phone down and walked around Fredbear's. He saw a limp puppet sprawled on the floor by the back door, as if it were crawling to get out. Henry grabbed the puppet and ran back to the phone. "Will!"

"Yes?"

"I found him!"

"Good. Where was he?"

"On the floor near the back door, as if trying to escape the place."

William's eyes widened in shock. He thought a moment and shook off the crazy thoughts. "I-I'm sure it was just some kid who snuck in and decided to pull a prank.

"I guess that's possible. I think we need tighter security here."

"I-I need to go, Henry. I'm working on my new projects."

"New projects, eh? Well, I guess I'll let you go."

William hung up. He propped his arms on his desk with his head in hands. _I know nobody got in there. What could have happened? Perhaps the puppet is alive or …_ He shook his head. _No, it couldn't be, that'd be too incredible._ He turned to the endoskeleton head he had recently completed. _Maybe you can have a little spurt of life too._ He looked at his drawing. He began working on the rest of the endoskeleton pieces and parts, wiring it for its pseudo life it would someday live.

After about four hours of putting the pieces of the endoskeleton puzzle together, William had a working piece of art. He turned the robot on and it raised itself up into standing position. It towered at about 5 feet tall- a relatively small creature compared to the 7-foot beasts at Fredbear's. He pressed a small button on her controls. The endoskeleton waved and began to speak, "Hi, everyone. I'm Circus Baby, here to make your day wonderful." He pressed another button and a small metal arm protruded from the torso. The robot spoke, "I can make ice cream." The endoskeleton's actual arm came to retrieve an ice cream cone that wasn't there from the smaller torso arm. William smiled, very pleased with his creation.

It was almost 1:30 when his daughter came in the garage. She had a water in one hand and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the other. "Hi, daddy. I saw you haven't come inside for a while so I brought you lunch." She walked up to him and placed it on his desk. She turned around to see a metal creature about 6 inches taller than her standing in front of her father. "What is that?"

William smiled and gestured to the machine. "This, my dear, is what will be the insides of your robot."

She jumped for joy. "I love it already. What's it's name?"

"Her name is Circus Baby."

Emily beamed. "Wow, I love her."

"You'll love her even more when you see all that she can do."

"What will she be able to do?"

"Let's see, she'll be able to sing, dance, talk, blow balloons, and dispense ice cream."

"Wow, she'll be so amazing!" Emily was in utter awe.

"For you, darling, she must be the best."

Emily flung her arms around her father. "Thank you so much, daddy!"

William returned her hug. "You're welcome, sweetie, and thank you for lunch." He let go and smiled. "I guess you sensed that your old man was starving."

Emily giggled. "Yeah."

William thought a moment and something struck his brain. "What are your brothers doing?"

Emily rung her hands and looked at the ground. "Well, when I left them, Michael was chasing Danny with a mask on."

William raised an eyebrow. "Is it that stupid werewolf mask again?"

"No, it's a clown mask this time."

William sighed. "I am going to have to beat that boy."

Emily looked worried and afraid. "Please don't beat Michael."

William looked at her and his face softened. "I didn't mean beat him, just rattle him a little so that he'll stop tormenting your little brother."

Emily smiled. "Okay." She turned around. "I'll see you later, daddy." She walked out of the garage.

William looked after her. _She is the only kid of mine who is not getting into trouble or terrified of everything._ He looked around the garage and saw some metal sheets. _Time for the outer body._ He went and retrieved the large sheets. He began to make measurements and make markings on the metal. He got out his metal saw and cut out the pieces he needed. He began shaping the metal pieces, curving them perfectly to be the plates for the limbs. He occasionally drilled small holes in different pieces where bolts would join them. He completed the four main plates for one of the legs after two more hours. He began to piece it together around one of the endoskeleton's legs- he liked how it appeared. He took the shaped pieces back and placed them on top of his desk. He stretched and glanced at his watch- almost 3:45. He decided to go inside to check on the kids. William got up and walked out of the garage and into his house. "Kids?"

Danny heard his father and ran for him. William saw Danny running and knelt down and opened his arms. Danny leapt into his father's arms, laughing.

William looked at his usually terrified child in shock. He smiled. "What's gotten into you, my boy?" He tousled his hair.

"Emily has puppets. Look." The child laughed and pointed towards the entrance to the living room where Emily stepped out with a golden bear on one hand and a golden bunny on the other. She ran over to her father and brother.

She began moving her bear hand. "Hi, Bonnie. Are you ready to put on a show?" She moved the bunny hand. "Sure am, Fredbear." She began to make the puppets sing.

Danny laughed and clapped. William looked at him. "So you like the puppets of the robots but not the robots themselves?"

Danny looked up at his father and smiled. "These aren't alive, Daddy. See, Emily controls them."

William was surprised. "Danny, the robots at Fredbear's aren't alive either."

Danny was confused. "Yes they are, they can move all by themselves like me."

"Yes, they can move, but they are machines meant to make lively actions. They don't have souls and are not alive. They aren't out to get you, Danny."

The little boy shivered. Then he smiled and looked back at the puppets. "I like this Fredbear and Bonnie." He hopped out of his dad's arms and reached for the Fredbear puppet. Emily withdrew her hand and started running. Danny laughed and chased after her.

William watched his children barrel up the stairs and disappear into Emily's bedroom. He trailed upstairs and saw that the lights were off in Michael and Danny's room. _I know he isn't asleep at 4 in the afternoon._ William knocked and there was no answer. He gently pushed the door open and flipped the lights on, only to not see Michael anywhere. _Well damn, where is that boy?_ He looked around the entire house and couldn't find Michael. He went into Emily's room and the two youngest children looked up. "Have you seen Michael anywhere?" They shook their heads. William sighed and walked out. He went to the backyard- no sign of Michael. He walked around to the front and low and behold, Michael was walking down the sidewalk towards home with his head hung low. William waited and watched him as he approached slowly. He gave Michael a stern look and crossed his arms. "Well?"

Michael looked up. "I went to the girl's house down the street and asked her out."

"And?"

"She said she had a boyfriend."

William's expression softened and he patted Michael in the back. "I'm proud, son. That took guts."

Michael smiled slightly. "Yeah, but I didn't get the girl."

William chuckled. "It's okay, there are plenty of fish in the sea, besides, she probably would've been all over you if she hadn't had a boyfriend."

Michael looked up and smiled. "You think so?"

"Son, you've got my genes, of course I think so."

Michael laughed. "Whatever, dad. You managed to get mom, but that's it."

William froze. Michael looked up at his father who was seemingly paralyzed. "Oh, right. Sorry, dad."

William snapped out of it. "Oh it's okay."

Michael rubbed his arm nervously. "Alright, well, I'm gonna… go clean my room." With that, he rushed away.

 _Melanie. My love. Gone forever. If only I could bring her back. How can spirits continue to live among us when the body is deceased. How can such things be done? Alchemy? No… they must have a vessel to possess in order to prosper. Must these vessels have the composition of human flesh or can they be of other more easily crafted materials?_ William pondered these thoughts a while. He began thinking about Henry, then he remembered. _The marionette- it was moved, but how? I didn't move it and I'm positive I locked up shop when I left._ His mouth was gaping. _It couldn't be._ He ran to the garage and looked at the animatronic pieces laying on his desk. _Human souls can inhabit the bodies of the robots. The child haunts the puppet, which means this can happen again._ He began to scribble stuff down. _Incredible, the key to eternal life is a robotic suit._ He smiled, almost creepily. He looked at the parts and began working on the body of his creation once more. After a few hours, the second leg plates were complete and he had begun construction of the central body cavity. He stopped when he saw it was approaching 8. He stood up, stretched, and let out a drawn out yawn. He walked over to the house and went inside and what he saw shocked him. Michael, Emily, and Danny were all sitting peacefully on the couch together watching cartoons. _Oh my goodness, I have never seen this before. Are these my children?_ He walked into the living room. "Uh, kids?" They all turned their heads and smiled at their father. "Okay, what's going on here."

Michael was the first to speak. "Nothing's going on, dad. We're just siblings spending time together." He squeezed his younger siblings in a hug.

William cocked an eyebrow. "Okay…"

Danny looked up and yawned. "Daddy, I'm tired." He rubbed his eyes.

William smiled. "Well, you do have a big day tomorrow."

Emily grinned. "Danny's gotta birthday party!"

William chuckled. "That's right. Now, you guys should get to bed so that you can have fun tomorrow." He picked Danny up and brought him to bed with Michael following. He tucked his boys in, told them good night, then left. He entered Emily's room, tucked her in, told her good night, and left. He walked down the hall to his own bedroom and did his bedtime routine. He crawled in bed, happy to get to revisit Fredbear's tomorrow.


End file.
